21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World

The collective writings proper to any language or nations. The term literature is site of

Zcyrel V. Barola STEM 12 – Tesla 11/21/19

Introduction to Literature
Definition of Literature:
• Etymologically: the Latin word “litteratura” is derived from “littera” (letter),
which is the smallest element of alphabetical writing.
• Which can also mean “knowledge of the books” or “book-learnings.”
• ideological conflict; it may refer to those canonical works in the genres, ie.,
traditional works considered to be artistic or it may also refer to the total sum
of writings, including letters, memoirs, comics, historical writings, etc.
(adapted from the Cambridge Encyclopedia)
• An intimate experience of an author carefully expressed in concrete images
through the use of structure, imaginative style and luxurious metaphors. It is
not practical or logical communication, but an aesthetic experience.
• Is equivalent to Reading plus Writing.

Importance of Literature:
• It develops critical thinking skills, fosters empathy for others, reduces stress
and develops readers' personal experiences.
• It can also be a learning tool for subjects including medicine, history, sociology
and psychology.
• A leap into the past wherein we get to imagine and experience living life
without much technological advancements.
• It is a way to appreciate other culture and beliefs. It allows you to understand
and experience these other systems of living and other worlds. We get a view
of the inside looking out, a personal view and insight into the minds and
reasoning of someone else. We can learn, understand, and appreciate it.
• It is one way to connect with our own humanity.

Genres of Literature
A type, kind, or
a category.
Prose
Genres
Literature Poetry

Drama
1. PROSE
 a communicative style that sounds natural and uses grammatical
structure. Prose is the opposite of verse, or poetry, which employs
a rhythmic structure that does not mimic ordinary speech.
 The word “prose” comes from the Latin expression prosa oratio,
which means straightforward or direct speech.
 Prose is straight writing in paragraph form (e.g. newspaper,
novels, magazines).
 Can be fictional or non-fictional.
  Fiction
 is defined as something that is NOT true.
 It may be a book that is not based on a true story,
 a false belief,
 Or a lie that you were told.

Types of Fiction
1. Mystery Fiction - Mystery novels revolve around the investigation of a crime,
usually murder, by some form of amateur or professional detective. The body
tends to be discovered very close to the beginning of the novel, and the bulk
of the action then concerns the detective’s attempts to discover the identity of
the murderer.
2. Crime Fiction - Although “crime” and “mystery” are often used
interchangeably, mysteries are technically about the solving of a crime by
some form of detective, while crime novels are told from the viewpoint of the
criminals themselves.
3. Suspense Thrillers Fiction - They are much more dependent on action than
mystery fiction, and are usually densely plotted with many clever twists and
turns along the way. Thrillers and suspense novels tend to be longer than
mysteries and feature more involved and complex storylines, often told from
the viewpoints of several characters.
4. Horror Fiction - The defining characteristic of horror fiction is simply the
intention to frighten readers by exploiting their fears. It aims to evoke a
combination of fear, fascination and revulsion in readers. Essentially, this genre
is about the battle between good and evil. Even more essentially, it’s about the
things that scare us, and a way of giving form to the more amorphous fears of
our lives.
5. Science Fiction - Science fiction is defined more by its setting than by other
story elements (such as plot or characters). The novels might be set in a future
version of earth, in a past version of earth that contradicts known history, in
outer space, or under the ocean. Science and technology always lays at the core
of these novels – not science and technology as we know it, but a theoretical
version of it, such as time travel, which goes against the known laws of nature
(at least at the time of writing!)
6. Fantasy Fiction - Fantasy fiction deals with the inherently impossible. It is
usually set in fanciful, invented worlds or alternate realities, or in a legendary
and mythic past. The fantasy world will be a scientifically impossible one, but
will nevertheless have its own internal logic and “laws.” Magic, mysticism and
the supernatural all play a large part.
7. Romantic Fiction - Romantic fiction is currently the largest and bestselling
genre of fiction. It’s also the most diverse category, in terms of the sheer
number of sub-genres that it contains. Identify the sub-genre that most appeals
to you and then familiarize yourself with its demands through reading and
analysis.
8. Historical Fiction - Its principal characteristic is obviously the fact that it is set
in the past, but the best way to categorize these novels is by whatever element
lays at the novel’s core – crime, romance, and so on. The best way to label your
book, therefore, is not as an historical novel, but as an “historical romance” or
an “historical murder-mystery”
9. Adventure Fiction - adventure genre is escapist, undemanding and fantasy-
fulfilling entertainment.Characters are usually based around a quest, where the
hero (or group of heroes) must achieve some specific goal in the face of
extreme danger – to himself/themselves and, quite possibly, to the wider
community. They are often set in places like jungles or deserts or tropical
islands.
  Non – Fiction
 adventure genre is escapist, undemanding and fantasy-fulfilling
entertainment.
 Characters are usually based around a quest, where the hero (or
group of heroes) must achieve some specific goal in the face of
extreme danger – to himself/themselves and, quite possibly, to
the wider community.
 They are often set in places like jungles or deserts or tropical
islands.
Types of Non-Fiction
1. Journal - from the Old French journal (meaning "daily"), may refer to several
things. In its original meaning, it refers to a daily record of activities.
2. Biography - The subject of which is the life of an individual. One of the oldest
forms of literary expression, it seeks to re-create in words the life of a human
being—as understood from the historical or personal perspective of the
author—by drawing upon all available evidence, including that retained in
memory as well as written, oral, and pictorial material.
3. Autobiography - the biography of oneself narrated by oneself
Other examples include textbooks, essays, letters, speeches, religious texts, etc.

2. POETRY
 Poetry is a type of literature based on the interplay of words and rhythm. It often
employs rhyme and meter (a set of rules governing the number and
arrangement of syllables in each line). In poetry, words are strung together to
form sounds, images, and ideas that might be too complex or abstract to
describe directly.
Types of Poetry
1. Epic - long narrative poem recounting heroic deeds.
2. Ode - Ceremonious poem on an occasion of public or private dignity in
which personal emotion and general meditation are united. The Greek word
ōdē, which has been accepted in most modern European languages, meant
a choric song, usually accompanied by a dance.
3. Lyric - a verse or poem that is, or supposedly is, susceptible of being sung
to the accompaniment of a musical instrument (in ancient times, usually a
lyre) or that expresses intense personal emotion in a manner suggestive of
a song.
4. Sonnet - The sonnet is unique among poetic forms in Western literature in
that it has retained its appeal for major poets for five centuries.

3. DRAMA
 a drama is the portrayal of fictional or non-fictional events through the
performance of written dialog (either prose or poetry). Dramas can be
performed on stage, on film, or the radio. Dramas are typically called plays,
and their creators are known as “playwrights” or “dramatists.”
1. Tragedy - branch of drama that treats in a serious and dignified style the
sorrowful or terrible events encountered or caused by a heroic individual.
2. Comedy - type of dramatic work that is amusing and satirical in its tone,
mostly having a cheerful ending. The motif of this dramatic work is triumph
over unpleasant circumstance by creating comic effects, resulting in a happy
or successful conclusion.
3. Tragicomedy - type of dramatic work that is amusing and satirical in its tone,
mostly having a cheerful ending. The motif of this dramatic work is triumph
over unpleasant circumstance by creating comic effects, resulting in a happy
or successful conclusion.